U.S. patent application number 12/394067 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-03 for document feeding device.
This patent application is currently assigned to BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA. Invention is credited to Hiroyuki Shingai.
Application Number | 20090218749 12/394067 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40781539 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090218749 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Shingai; Hiroyuki |
September 3, 2009 |
Document Feeding Device
Abstract
A document feeding device comprises a document input tray, a
document output tray placed above the document input tray, and a
feeding mechanism provided for a feeding path (connecting the
document input tray and the document output tray via a scanning
position) to feed each document along the feeding path. The
document output tray includes a reference tray and a pivoting tray
(on the downstream side of the reference tray) pivotable with
respect to the reference tray around a pivot shaft on the upstream
side of the pivoting tray. The pivoting of the pivoting tray is
restricted at a retracted position by a pivot restricting part when
the pivoting tray has pivoted from a document stacking position to
the retracted position. The pivot shaft is situated above an
upstream end of a stacking surface of the pivoting tray when the
pivoting tray is placed at the document stacking position.
Inventors: |
Shingai; Hiroyuki; (Aichi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BANNER & WITCOFF, LTD.;ATTORNEYS FOR CLIENT NO. 016689
1100 13th STREET, N.W., SUITE 1200
WASHINGTON
DC
20005-4051
US
|
Assignee: |
BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI
KAISHA
Aichi
JP
|
Family ID: |
40781539 |
Appl. No.: |
12/394067 |
Filed: |
February 27, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
271/3.14 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 31/02 20130101;
B65H 2405/3322 20130101; B65H 2301/33312 20130101; B65H 2601/321
20130101; B65H 2405/324 20130101; H04N 1/00618 20130101; H04N
1/0057 20130101; B65H 2301/42124 20130101; B65H 2405/1117 20130101;
H04N 1/00612 20130101; B65H 2403/51 20130101; B65H 2801/06
20130101; H04N 1/00604 20130101; B65H 2405/111646 20130101; H04N
1/00649 20130101; H04N 1/00567 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
271/3.14 |
International
Class: |
B65H 5/00 20060101
B65H005/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 29, 2008 |
JP |
2008-050036 |
Claims
1. A document feeding device for feeding documents, comprising: a
document input tray on which documents to be fed are placed; a
document output tray which is placed above the document input tray
and to which the documents are ejected; and a feeding mechanism
which is provided for a feeding path connecting the document input
tray and the document output tray via a scanning position and feeds
each document from the document input tray to the scanning position
and from the scanning position to the document output tray,
wherein: the document output tray includes a reference tray and a
pivoting tray which is placed on the downstream side of the
reference tray in a feeding direction to be pivotable with respect
to the reference tray around a pivot shaft situated on the upstream
side of the pivoting tray in the feeding direction, and the
document feeding device further comprises a pivot restricting part
which restricts the pivoting of the pivoting tray at a retracted
position when the pivoting tray has pivoted from a document
stacking position, where the documents can be stacked on a stacking
surface of the pivoting tray, to the retracted position, and the
pivot shaft is situated above an upstream end of the stacking
surface of the pivoting tray in the feeding direction when the
pivoting tray is placed at the document stacking position.
2. The document feeding device according to claim 1, wherein: the
pivoting tray includes a connection part which is situated at the
upstream end of the pivoting tray in the feeding direction and
connects with a downstream end of the reference tray when the
pivoting tray is placed at the document stacking position, and the
connection part is situated on the downstream side of the pivot
shaft in the feeding direction when the pivoting tray is placed at
the retracted position.
3. The document feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the
pivot restricting part is provided above a document outlet through
which each document is ejected from the feeding path to the
document output tray.
4. The document feeding device according to claim 3, further
comprising: an ejection mechanism which is configured to be capable
of successively ejecting each document while sliding it under
documents already ejected to the document output tray; and a
document pressing member which extends downstream in the feeding
direction from over the document outlet, wherein an upper surface
of the document pressing member serves also as the pivot
restricting part.
5. The document feeding device according to any one of claim 1,
further comprising: a sensing unit which detects whether the
pivoting tray is at the retracted position or not; an ejection
mechanism which is configured so that its document ejection mode
can be switched between a first ejection mode for successively
ejecting each document while stacking it on documents already
ejected to the document output tray and a second ejection mode for
successively ejecting each document while sliding it under the
documents already ejected to the document output tray; and a
control unit which controls the ejection mechanism based on the
detection by the sensing unit, wherein the control unit sets the
document ejection mode of the ejection mechanism in the first
ejection mode when the sensing unit detects that the pivoting tray
is at the retracted position.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119
from Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-050036 filed on Feb. 29,
2008. The entire subject matter of the application is incorporated
herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] Aspects of the present invention relate to a document
feeding device for feeding a document from a document input tray to
a document output tray via a scanning position of a document
scanner.
[0004] 2. Prior Art
[0005] For document feeding devices in which a document output tray
is placed above a document input tray, there exists a known
configuration capable of pivoting and retracting the document
output tray to an upright position so that the document output tray
does not hamper the user from loading documents on the document
input tray. In a document feeding device described in Japanese
Patent Provisional Publication No. HEI 09-110311 (FIGS. 2-4)
(hereinafter referred to as a "patent document #1"), a notch or
opening is formed through a part of the document output tray
corresponding to a document outlet (through which each document is
ejected) so that collision of a document with the document output
tray will not occur even if the document is ejected through the
document outlet when the document output tray is in the upright
position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In the configuration described in the patent document #1,
however, when the document output tray is used in a normal state
(flat position), the front end of a document ejected through the
document outlet can hit an edge of the notch or opening and the
document can be bent or fed under the document output tray (ejected
to the document input tray), by which document ejecting performance
of the document feeding device is deteriorated. Especially when the
front end of a document being ejected through the document outlet
bends downward, the probability of hitting the edge of the notch or
opening increases and that is problematic.
[0007] In consideration of the above problems, the aspects of the
present invention are advantageous in that a document feeding
device, capable of preventing the deterioration of the document
ejecting performance before and after the pivoting of a pivotable
document output tray, can be provided.
[0008] In accordance with aspects of the present invention, there
is provided a document feeding device for feeding documents,
comprising a document input tray on which documents to be fed are
placed, a document output tray which is placed above the document
input tray and to which the documents are ejected, and a feeding
mechanism which is provided for a feeding path connecting the
document input tray and the document output tray via a scanning
position and feeds each document from the document input tray to
the scanning position and from the scanning position to the
document output tray. The document output tray includes a reference
tray and a pivoting tray which is placed on the downstream side of
the reference tray in a feeding direction to be pivotable with
respect to the reference tray around a pivot shaft situated on the
upstream side of the pivoting tray in the feeding direction. The
document feeding device further comprises a pivot restricting part
which restricts the pivoting of the pivoting tray at a retracted
position when the pivoting tray has pivoted from a document
stacking position, where the documents can be stacked on a stacking
surface of the pivoting tray, to the retracted position. The pivot
shaft is situated above an upstream end of the stacking surface of
the pivoting tray in the feeding direction when the pivoting tray
is placed at the document stacking position.
[0009] In the document feeding device configured as above, the
document output tray includes the reference tray and the pivoting
tray, and the pivot shaft of the pivoting tray is situated above an
upstream end of the stacking surface of the pivoting tray in the
feeding direction when the pivoting tray is placed at the document
stacking position. Therefore, a gap can be formed between the
reference tray and the pivoting tray when the pivoting tray has
been pivoted to the retracted position.
[0010] In the case where the pivoting tray has been pivoted to the
retracted position, the document ejecting performance is not
deteriorated since the ejected document moves on the reference tray
and passes through the gap between the reference tray and the
pivoting tray. Meanwhile, when the pivoting tray is placed at the
document stacking position, even if the front end of the ejected
document bends downward, the document first moves on the reference
tray while correcting its downward bending and then directly moves
(slides) onto the stacking surface of the pivoting tray, by which
the document ejecting performance is not deteriorated.
[0011] As above, the document feeding device, preventing the
deterioration of the document ejecting performance before and after
the pivoting of the pivotable document output tray, is capable of
ejecting each document smoothly and consistently.
[0012] Other objects, features and advantages of the aspects of the
present invention will become more apparent from the consideration
of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall
configuration of a document feeding device in accordance with an
embodiment of the aspects of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration
of a document feeding unit of the document feeding device.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of
the document feeding unit for the single-side scan.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of
the document feeding unit for the double-side scan.
[0017] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of
the document feeding unit for the double-side scan.
[0018] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of
the document feeding unit for the double-side scan.
[0019] FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view showing a state of the
document feeding device when a pivoting tray is placed at a
document stacking position.
[0020] FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view showing a state of the
document feeding device when the pivoting tray is placed at a
retracted position.
[0021] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a flap part and cams
of an ejection mechanism of the document feeding device viewed in
the direction of arrow X in FIG. 2.
[0022] FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the
operation of the cams and a document output tray of the document
feeding device.
[0023] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view for explaining the
operation of the cams and the document output tray.
[0024] FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view for explaining the
operation of the document feeding device in a second ejection
mode.
[0025] FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view for explaining the
operation of the document feeding device in a first ejection
mode.
[0026] FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration for
controlling the document ejection mode of the ejection
mechanism.
[0027] FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing a process flow of the
document feeding device between the selection of document scanning
by the user and the start of document feeding.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
[0028] Referring now to the drawings, a description will be given
in detail of a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present
invention.
[0029] <Overall Configuration of Document Feeding Device>
[0030] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall
configuration of a document feeding device in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional
view showing the configuration of a document feeding unit of the
document feeding device.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the document feeding device 1 of this
embodiment mainly includes a document input tray 10, a document
output tray 20 and a document feeding unit 30.
[0032] The document input tray 10, as a part on which documents to
be scanned (i.e. documents to be fed) are placed, is situated in a
lower right part of the document feeding device 1 in FIG. 1.
[0033] The document output tray 20, as a part on which the
documents after being scanned (i.e. after being ejected from the
document feeding unit 30) are stacked, is situated above the
document input tray 10. The detailed configuration of the document
output tray 20 will be described later.
[0034] The document feeding unit 30, as a unit for feeding the
document from the document input tray 10 to the document output
tray 20, is situated to the left of the document input tray 10 and
the document output tray 20 in FIG. 1. An outer frame of the
document feeding unit 30 includes a body frame 30A and a cover 30B
which is rotatable with respect to the body frame 30A around an
axis in a lower left part in FIG. 1. A feeding path 31 and a
turnover path 32 for feeding the document are formed mainly by the
body frame 30A and the cover 30B. In the document feeding unit 30,
the feeding path 31 is equipped with a feeding mechanism (explained
later) and a part of an ejection mechanism (explained later), while
the turnover path 32 is equipped with a turnover mechanism
(explained later).
[0035] In the following explanation, the traveling direction of the
document being fed from the document input tray 10 to the document
output tray 20 through the feeding path 31 (indicated by arrows in
FIG. 1) will be referred to as a "feeding direction". Expressions
"upstream side" and "downstream side" in the following explanation
mean "upstream side in the feeding direction" and "downstream side
in the feeding direction", respectively.
[0036] <Configuration of Feeding Path and Turnover Path>
[0037] As shown in FIG. 2, the feeding path 31 (formed
substantially in a U-shape) is a path connecting the document input
tray 10 and the document output tray 20 via a scanning position R.
The feeding path 31 is made up of an intake path 33, a lower
feeding path 34, a curved path 35 and an upper feeding path 36.
[0038] The intake path 33 continuously extends from a loading
surface 10A of the document input tray 10 toward the downstream
side substantially in a horizontal direction. In the intake path
33, a guide surface is formed by the body frame 30A.
[0039] The lower feeding path 34 includes a sloped part 34A
extending from the downstream end of the intake path 33 toward the
lower left in FIG. 2 and a horizontal part 34B extending downstream
substantially in a horizontal direction from the downstream end of
the sloped part 34A. In the lower feeding path 34, a lower guide
surface of the sloped part 34A is formed by the body frame 30A,
while an upper guide surface of the sloped part 34A and the
horizontal part 34B is formed by a document guide 37. The bottom of
the horizontal part 34B is open (as the scanning position R) so as
to expose the document for the scanning.
[0040] The document guide 37 mainly includes a sloped part and a
horizontal part corresponding to the sloped part 34A and the
horizontal part 34B of the lower feeding path 34. The horizontal
part of the document guide 37 holds down the document being exposed
at the scanning position R. Incidentally, in cases where the
document feeding device 1 is used with (installed in) a copier, MFP
(Multi-Function Peripheral), etc., platen glass G of a document
scanner (unshown) of a well-known type is provided under the
horizontal part of the document guide 37. A scan target surface of
the document, fed to the scanning position R through the horizontal
part 34B while being sandwiched between the document guide 37 and
the platen glass G, is scanned by an unshown document scanning unit
(e.g. image sensor) placed beneath the platen glass G
[0041] The curved path 35, extending upward like an arc from the
downstream end of the lower feeding path 34 (horizontal part 34B),
changes the feeding direction by approximately 180 degrees
(leftward to rightward in FIG. 2). In the curved path 35, a guide
surface is formed by the body frame 30A and the cover 30B. Although
not illustrated, a part of the curved path 35 can be exposed by
rotating and opening the cover 30B, through which a document jammed
in the feeding path 31 can be removed.
[0042] Incidentally, a guide surface 35A, sloping from a position
under the upper edge of the downstream end of the platen glass G
toward a nipping position of a second feeding roller 47 and a pinch
roller 48 (explained later), is formed at the bottom of the curved
path 35 at its upstream end, by which the document being fed on the
platen glass G is smoothly fed to the curved path 35 without
getting snagged.
[0043] The upper feeding path 36 extends from the downstream end of
the curved path 35 toward the document output tray 20. In the upper
feeding path 36, an upper guide surface is formed by the body frame
30A, while a lower guide surface is formed by the body frame 30A
and a first guide member 61 which will be explained later. The
downstream end of the upper feeding path 36 serves as a document
outlet 38.
[0044] The turnover path 32 extends from the document outlet 38
toward the lower left in FIG. 2 to connect to the upstream end of
the lower feeding path 34 (sloped part 34A). In the turnover path
32, guide surfaces are formed by the body frame 30A, the first
guide member 61 (explained later) and a second guide member 62
(explained later).
[0045] <Configuration of Feeding Mechanism>
[0046] The feeding path 31 is equipped with the feeding mechanism,
which feeds the document from the document input tray 10 to the
scanning position R, and to the document output tray 20. In this
embodiment, the feeding mechanism is mainly composed of an intake
roller 41, an intake pad 42, a separation roller 43, a separation
pad 44, a first feeding roller 45, the second feeding roller 47, a
switchback roller 50 and pinch rollers 46, 48, 49 and 51.
[0047] The intake roller 41, for pulling the documents placed on
the document input tray 10 toward the separation roller 43, is
situated to expose its top from the bottom of the intake path 33 at
a position near the midpoint of the intake path 33. The intake
roller 41 is driven and rotated by driving force transmitted from
an unshown motor.
[0048] The intake pad 42, for pressing the documents against the
intake roller 41 to let the intake roller 41 pull the documents
steadily, is situated to face the intake roller 41 from above. The
intake pad 42, capable of pivoting up and down, is constantly
biased toward the intake roller 41.
[0049] The separation roller 43, for sending out the documents one
by one, is situated to expose its top from the bottom of the intake
path 33 at the downstream end of the intake path 33. The separation
roller 43 is driven and rotated by driving force transmitted from
the unshown motor.
[0050] The separation pad 44, for pressing the documents against
the separation roller 43 to let the separation roller 43 separate
and send out a document with reliability, is situated to face the
separation roller 43 from above. The separation pad 44, capable of
pivoting up and down, is constantly biased toward the separation
roller 43.
[0051] The first feeding roller 45, for feeding the document inside
the feeding path 31, is situated to expose its bottom from the top
of the lower feeding path 34 (sloped part 34A) at a position near
the midpoint of the sloped part 34A while exposing its top from the
bottom of the upper feeding path 36 at a position near the midpoint
of the upper feeding path 36. The first feeding roller 45 is driven
and rotated by driving force transmitted from the unshown
motor.
[0052] The pinch roller 46 is situated at a position near the
midpoint of the sloped part 34A, with its top (exposed from the
bottom of the sloped part 34A) contacting the first feeding roller
45.
[0053] The second feeding roller 47, for feeding the document from
the scanning position R toward the document output tray 20, is
situated to expose its bottom from the top of the curved path 35 at
a position near the upstream end of the curved path 35. The second
feeding roller 47 is driven and rotated by driving force
transmitted from the unshown motor.
[0054] The pinch roller 48 is situated at a position near the
upstream end of the curved path 35, with its top (exposed from the
bottom of the curved path 35) contacting the second feeding roller
47.
[0055] The pinch roller 49 is situated at a position near the
midpoint of the upper feeding path 36, with its bottom (exposed
from the top of the upper feeding path 36) contacting the first
feeding roller 45.
[0056] The switchback roller 50, for ejecting the document to the
document output tray 20, is situated at the document outlet 38. The
switchback roller 50 is driven and rotated by driving force
transmitted from the unshown motor. Incidentally, the switchback
roller 50 forms a part of the turnover mechanism (explained later)
and the ejection mechanism (explained later).
[0057] The pinch roller 51 is situated at the document outlet 38 to
contact the switchback roller 50 from above. At both ends of the
pinch roller 51 in its axial direction, a plurality of projections
51A, for pushing out the document (to be ejected) by making contact
with the rear end of the document in the feeding direction, are
formed around the periphery of the pinch roller 51.
[0058] Since the pinch rollers 46, 48, 49 and 51 are biased by
unshown biasing members toward the corresponding rollers 45, 47, 45
and 50, respectively, the document can be pressed against the
rollers 45, 47 and 50, by which the document can be fed with
reliability.
[0059] <Configuration of Turnover Mechanism>
[0060] The turnover path 32 is equipped with the turnover
mechanism. The turnover mechanism returns the document from the
document outlet 38 to a position on the upstream side of the
scanning position R (specifically, to a position on the upstream
side of the lower feeding path 34 (sloped part 34A) while
interchanging the front end and the rear end of the document in the
feeding direction (and turning over the document). In this
embodiment, the turnover mechanism is mainly composed of the first
guide member 61, the second guide member 62, the switchback roller
50 and a pinch roller 52.
[0061] The first guide member 61, which is situated at a position
near the document outlet 38 and on the upstream side of the
switchback roller 50, is capable of pivoting up and down around a
pivot shaft 61A. When the document turnover is not carried out, the
first guide member 61 stays downward (as indicated with solid lines
in FIG. 2) and thereby guides the document toward a nipping
position of the switchback roller 50 and the pinch roller 51. In
this state, the first guide member 61 forms a part of the lower
guide surface of the upper feeding path 36.
[0062] On the other hand, when the document turnover is carried
out, the first guide member 61 first pivots upward (as indicated
with chain lines in FIG. 2) to change the course of the upper
feeding path 36, and thereby guides the document toward a nipping
position of the switchback roller 50 and the pinch roller 52. After
the whole document has entered the turnover path 32, the first
guide member 61 pivots downward (as indicated with solid lines in
FIG. 2) to form a part of the guide surface of the turnover path
32.
[0063] The second guide member 62, which is situated at the
intersection of the turnover path 32 and the feeding path 31 (lower
feeding path 34), is capable of pivoting up and down around a pivot
shaft 62A. When the document turnover is carried out, the second
guide member 62 pivots downward (as indicated with chain lines in
FIG. 2) and thereby connects the turnover path 32 to the lower
feeding path 34. In this state, the second guide member 62 forms a
part of the guide surface of the turnover path 32. When the
document turnover is not carried out, the second guide member 62
stays upward (as indicated with solid lines in FIG. 2) to connect
the intake path 33 to the lower feeding path 34.
[0064] The switchback roller 50 is controlled by a well-known
control method so that its rotational direction can be changed.
When the document turnover is carried out, the switchback roller 50
is driven and rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 2 so as to
temporarily feed the document (sandwiched between the switchback
roller 50 and the pinch roller 52) toward the outside. Before the
document is totally ejected, the rotation of the switchback roller
50 is stopped according to the well-known control method. Then, the
switchback roller 50 is driven and rotated clockwise in FIG. 2 so
as to pull in the document sandwiched between the switchback roller
50 and the pinch roller 52. In this state (with the first guide
member 61 staying downward as indicated with solid lines in FIG.
2), the document pulled in is guided to the turnover path 32 along
the lower surface of the first guide member 61.
[0065] The pinch roller 52 is situated in a lower part of the
document outlet 38 to contact the switchback roller 50 from below.
The pinch roller 52, which is also biased toward the switchback
roller 50 similarly to the pinch roller 51 on the other side, is
capable of pressing the document against the switchback roller 50,
by which the document can be fed steadily.
[0066] <Operation of Document Feeding Unit>
[0067] Here, the operation of the document feeding unit 30
configured as above will be described. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional
view showing the operation of the document feeding unit 30 for the
single-side scan. FIGS. 4-6 are cross-sectional views showing the
operation of the document feeding unit 30 for the double-side
scan.
[0068] The document feeding device 1 is equipped with an unshown
operation panel, etc., through which the user can specify the
single-side scan or the double-side scan. Incidentally, the
operation panel may also be provided on an image scanning device
(scanner, NFP, copier, etc.) in which the document feeding device 1
is installed.
[0069] (Single-Side Scan)
[0070] When the single-side scan is selected by the user through
the operation panel, the first guide member 61 stays at the lower
position and the second guide member 62 stays at the upper position
as shown in FIG. 3. A document M placed on the document input tray
10 with its scan target surface P1 facing downward is pulled toward
the separation roller 43 by the intake roller 41 and the intake pad
42 and then fed to the lower feeding path 34 by the separation
roller 43 and the separation pad 44.
[0071] The document M in the lower feeding path 34 is fed by the
first feeding roller 45 and the pinch roller 46 to the scanning
position R with its scan target surface P1 facing downward. At the
scanning position R, the scan target surface P1 of the document M
is scanned by a well-known document scanner. Thereafter, the
document M is fed through the curved path 35 and the upper feeding
path 36 by the rollers 47, 48, 45 and 49 and then ejected through
the document outlet 38 by the switchback roller 50 and the pinch
roller 51 with its scan target surface P1 facing upward.
[0072] (Double-Side Scan)
[0073] When the double-side scan is selected by the user through
the operation panel, the first guide member 61 and the second guide
member 62 first stay at the upper positions as shown in FIG. 4. A
document M placed on the document input tray 10 with its front scan
target surface P1 facing downward and its back scan target surface
P2 facing upward is fed to the lower feeding path 34 by the rollers
41 and 43 and the pads 42 and 44.
[0074] The document M in the lower feeding path 34 is fed by the
first feeding roller 45 and the pinch roller 46 to the scanning
position R with its front scan target surface P1 facing downward,
at which the front scan target surface P1 of the document M is
scanned. Thereafter, the document M is fed through the curved path
35 and the upper feeding path 36 by the rollers 47, 48, 45 and 49,
guided under the first guide member 61, and fed toward the outside
by the switchback roller 50 and the pinch roller 52.
[0075] By stopping the switchback roller 50 (by the well-known
control method) before the document M is totally ejected by the
switchback roller 50 and the pinch roller 52, the document M barely
remains inside with its rear end sandwiched between the switchback
roller 50 and the pinch roller 52 as shown in FIG. 5. Then, by
pivoting both the first guide member 61 and the second guide member
62 downward, the turnover path 32 is formed and connected to the
lower feeding path 34. In this state, the front scan target surface
P1 and the back scan target surface P2 of the document M are facing
upward and downward, respectively.
[0076] By reversing the rotational direction of the switchback
roller 50 as shown in FIG. 6, the document M is pulled into the
turnover path 32 by the switchback roller 50 and the pinch roller
52 and is fed to the upstream part of the lower feeding path 34 (on
the upstream side of the scanning position R). Then, the document M
is fed by the first feeding roller 45 and the pinch roller 46 to
the scanning position R with its back scan target surface P2 facing
downward, at which the back scan target surface P2 of the document
M is scanned. Thereafter, the document M is fed through the curved
path 35 and the upper feeding path 36 by the rollers 47, 48, 45 and
49 and then ejected through the document outlet 38 by the
switchback roller 50 and the pinch roller 51 with its front scan
target surface P1 facing downward and its back scan target surface
P2 facing upward.
[0077] <Configuration of Document Output Tray>
[0078] Next, a configuration for pivoting the document output tray
20 (pivoting tray 120) and its action and effect when a document is
ejected (features of this embodiment) will be described. FIG. 7A is
a cross-sectional view showing a state of the document feeding
device 1 when the pivoting tray 120 is placed at a document
stacking position. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view showing a
state of the document feeding device 1 when the pivoting tray 120
is placed at a retracted position.
[0079] In the following explanation, the direction orthogonal to
the sheet of FIG. 7A (FIG. 7B), that is, the width direction of the
document (orthogonal to the feeding direction) will be referred to
simply as a "width direction".
[0080] As shown in FIG. 7A, the document output tray 20 is mainly
composed of a tray part 21 situated over the loading surface 10A of
the document input tray 10 and a flap part 22 situated on the
upstream side of the tray part 21.
[0081] The tray part 21 includes a fixed tray 110 (example of a
reference tray) and the pivoting tray 120 which is placed on the
downstream side of the fixed tray 110 when the pivoting tray 120
and the fixed tray 110 form a continuous stacking surface as shown
in FIG. 7A (document stacking position).
[0082] The fixed tray 110 is fixed to side panels 30C on both sides
in the width direction. The upper surface of the fixed tray 110
serves as a stacking surface 111 on which the documents ejected are
placed and stacked up. Incidentally, the side panels 30C (only one
side panel 30C is shown in FIG. 7A), which are placed on both sides
of the fixed tray 110 in the width direction integrally with the
body frame 30A (see FIG. 1), are panel-like members forming the
outer frame (housing) of the document feeding device 1 together
with the body frame 30A and the cover 30B.
[0083] The pivoting tray 120 is configured to pivot with respect to
the fixed tray 110 around a pivot shaft 130 so as to shift between
the document stacking position (FIG. 7A) and the retracted position
(FIG. 7B). As shown in FIG. 7A, the upper surface of the pivoting
tray 120 placed at the document stacking position serves as a
stacking surface 121 on which the documents ejected are placed and
stacked up. The pivoting tray 120 is equipped with a connection
part 122 at its upstream end.
[0084] The connection part 122 is formed to extend obliquely
downward from the upstream end of the stacking surface 121 and then
extend substantially in parallel with the stacking surface 121. The
connection part 122 of the pivoting tray 120 placed at the document
stacking position makes contact (connection) with the lower surface
of the downstream end of the fixed tray 110, by which the pivoting
of the pivoting tray 120 is restricted at the document stacking
position. In this state, the continuous stacking surface of the
tray part 21 is formed by the stacking surface 111 of the fixed
tray 110 and the stacking surface 121 of the pivoting tray 120.
[0085] The pivot shaft 130, which is formed integrally with the
pivoting tray 120, is supported by the side panels 30C to be
rotatable. Specifically, an upstream part of the pivoting tray 120
is provided with side plates 123 (only one side plate 123 is shown
in FIG. 7A) on both sides in the width direction, which protrude
upward from the stacking surface 121 in mountain shapes when viewed
from the side. The pivot shaft 130 extends outward in the width
direction from outer side faces of the two side plates 123. The
pivot shaft 130 is situated above the stacking surface 121 of the
pivoting tray 120 placed at the document stacking position (above
the upstream end 121 A of the stacking surface 121 in this
embodiment).
[0086] The pivoting tray 120 configured as above can be pivoted
from the document stacking position (FIG. 7A) to the retracted
position (FIG. 7B) by rotating it (its downstream end 124) relative
to the fixed tray 110 around the pivot shaft 130 counterclockwise
in FIG. 7A.
[0087] Above the flap part 22, a document pressing plate 140
(example of a document pressing member), extending downstream from
over the document outlet 38, is formed by the cover 30B as shown in
FIG. 7A. The pivoting of the pivoting tray 120 is restricted when
its stacking surface 121 makes contact with the upper surface 141
of the document pressing plate 140 as shown in FIG. 7B. Thus, the
upper surface 141 of the document pressing plate 140 serves as a
pivot restricting part.
[0088] After pivoting to the retracted position, the pivoting tray
120 stays substantially horizontal, with its stacking surface 121
facing downward and its connection part 122 situated on the
downstream side of the pivot shaft 130 as shown in FIG. 7B. Since
the pivot shaft 130 is situated above the upstream end 121A of the
stacking surface 121 when the pivoting tray 120 is at the document
stacking position, the stacking surface 121 is situated above the
pivot shaft 130 after the pivoting tray 120 has pivoted to the
retracted position. In this state, a space having a prescribed
width (i.e. gap S) is formed between the stacking surface 121 of
the pivoting tray 120 and the downstream end 111A of the stacking
surface 111 of the fixed tray 110.
[0089] Therefore, even when the document M is ejected when the
pivoting tray 120 is at the retracted position as shown in FIG. 7B,
the document M moves (slides) on the stacking surface 111 of the
fixed tray 110 and passes through the gap S, by which the document
M can be ejected smoothly. On the other hand, when the document M
is ejected in a normal state (with the pivoting tray 120 placed at
the document stacking position) as shown in FIG. 7A, even if the
downstream end of the ejected document M bends downward, the
document M moves (slides) on the upper surface of the flap part 22
and the stacking surface 111 of the fixed tray 110 while correcting
its downward bending and then moves (slides) onto the stacking
surface 121 of the pivoting tray 120, by which the document M can
be ejected smoothly.
[0090] As above, the document feeding device 1 of this embodiment
is capable of smoothly ejecting the document both before and after
the pivoting of the document output tray 20 (pivoting tray 120),
that is, irrespective of whether the pivoting tray 120 is at the
document stacking position or at the retracted position. Since the
connection part 122 is situated on the downstream side of the pivot
shaft 130 when the pivoting tray 120 is at the retracted position,
the gap S (as a path for the ejected document when the pivoting
tray 120 is at the retracted position) can be formed consistently,
by which the document ejecting performance of the document feeding
device 1 can be maintained at an excellent level.
[0091] <Configuration of Ejection Mechanism>
[0092] The document feeding device 1 of this embodiment is further
equipped with the aforementioned ejection mechanism whose document
ejection mode can be switched. The configuration and control of the
ejection mechanism will be described below. FIG. 8 is a schematic
diagram showing the flap part and cams of the ejection mechanism
viewed in the direction of arrow X in FIG. 2. FIGS. 9 and 10 are
partial cross-sectional views for explaining the operation of the
cams and the document output tray. FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional
view for explaining the operation of the document feeding device 1
in a second ejection mode. FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view for
explaining the operation of the document feeding device 1 in a
first ejection mode.
[0093] As shown in FIG. 2, the ejection mechanism includes the flap
part 22 of the document output tray 20 and cam 53 for pivoting the
flap part 22 up and down as main components.
[0094] The flap part 22 includes a first flap 23 and a second flap
24.
[0095] The first flap 23 is attached to the tray part 21 to be
capable of pivoting up and down around a pivot shaft 23A at its
downstream end. The first flap 23 has a shaft bearing part 23B at
its upstream end. In upper parts of side faces of the first flap 23
on both sides in the width direction, contacting parts 23C (with
which the cams 53 (push-up parts 53C) which will be explained later
make contact, respectively) are formed to protrude outward in the
width direction (see FIG. 8).
[0096] The second flap 24 is situated on the upstream side of the
first flap 23. The second flap 24 is attached to the first flap 23
to be capable of pivoting around a pivot shaft 24A which is borne
by the shaft bearing part 23B of the first flap 23. The second flap
24, having a bent part 25 bending downward on the downstream side,
is shaped like an "L" overall. Incidentally, downward pivoting of
the second flap 24 is restricted within a prescribed range by a
stopper 23D (formed at the downstream end of the first flap 23)
which makes contact with the lower surface of the second flap
24.
[0097] The cams 53 are provided on both sides of the first flap 23
in the width direction as shown in FIG. 8. Each cam 53 is
integrally formed by a shaft part 53A, a link part 53B and a
push-up part 53C. The shaft part 53A, which is attached to the side
panel 30C to be rotatable, is driven and rotated by driving force
transmitted from the unshown motor. The link part 53B, for linking
the shaft part 53A with the push-up part 53C, is substantially in
parallel with the side panel 30C. The push-up part 53C is a
substantially cylindrical part which extends inward in the width
direction from the distal end of the link part 53B.
[0098] In the ejection mechanism configured as above, the shaft
part 53A of each cam 53 is driven and rotated counterclockwise in
FIG. 9 by the driving force transmitted from the unshown motor, by
which the push-up part 53C of each cam 53 pivots upward around the
shaft part 53A. The push-up part 53C makes contact with the lower
surface of the contacting part 23C of the first flap 23 and then
pushes the contacting part 23C upward, by which the flap part 22
(first flap 23) is pivoted upward around the pivot shaft 23A. The
counterclockwise rotation of each cam 53 is restricted when its
link part 53B makes contact with each supporting member 54
protruding inward in the width direction from each side panel 30C
(only one of the two side panels 30C is shown in FIG. 10) as shown
in FIG. 10, by which the cams 53 are stopped.
[0099] Meanwhile, in response to the upward pivoting of the first
flap 23, the upstream end 24B of the second flap 24 pivots downward
around the pivot shaft 24A as shown in FIG. 10 due to its own
weight. Due to the downward pivoting of the second flap 24
(upstream end 24B), the apex of the bent part 25 relatively
projects upward and thereby forms a projecting part 25A (as the
uppermost part of the second flap 24) as shown in FIG. 10. The
downward pivoting of the second flap 24 (upstream end 24B) is
restricted when the lower surface of the second flap 24 makes
contact with the stopper 23D.
[0100] In this case where the flap part 22 has pivoted upward, the
upstream end of documents M already ejected to the document output
tray 20 stays lifted by the projecting part 25A from the document
output tray 20 (second flap 24) as shown in FIG. 11A. Thus, when
the next document M2 is ejected, the downstream end of the document
M2 makes contact with an upstream end part of the lower surface of
the documents M. Thereafter, the document M2 is ejected while
directly sliding under the documents M.
[0101] Incidentally, since the document M2 with its scan target
surface P2 facing upward can be ejected under the already ejected
documents M whose scan target surfaces P1 are facing upward in the
single-side scan explained above (see FIG. 3), the ejected
documents M and M2 can be arranged in the normal order. Even when
an already ejected document has upward curl at its upstream end,
the curl can be restricted by the lower surface 142 of the document
pressing plate 140, by which a document ejected next can be
consistently slid under the already ejected document. Since the
document pressing plate 140 (upper surface 141) serves also as the
pivot restricting part as mentioned above, it is unnecessary to
provide the pivot restricting part as an extra member, which
contributes to simplification of the configuration.
[0102] In order to pivot the flap part 22 downward, the shaft part
53A of each cam 53 is driven and rotated clockwise in FIG. 10 by
the driving force transmitted from the unshown motor, by which the
push-up part 53C (which has supported the contacting part 23C of
the first flap 23) pivots downward around the shaft part 53A, by
which the flap part 22 (first flap 23) pivots downward around the
pivot shaft 23A due to its own weight. Meanwhile, in response to
the downward pivoting of the first flap 23, the upstream end 24B of
the second flap 24 pivots upward (relative to the first flap 23)
around the pivot shaft 24A, by which the apex of the bent part 25
sinks relatively as shown in FIG. 2 (in which the apex is
substantially at the same level as the upper surface of the second
flap 24 on the upstream side of the apex).
[0103] In this case where the flap part 22 has pivoted downward, a
document M ejected is placed on the document output tray 20 (the
second flap 24, the first flap 23 and the tray part 21) as shown in
FIG. 11B. In this state, the upstream end of the document M is
situated below the document outlet 38, and thus a document M2 to be
ejected next is ejected while being stacked (placed) on the
document M.
[0104] Incidentally, since the document M2 with its front scan
target surface P1 facing downward and its back scan target surface
P2 facing upward can be ejected on the already ejected documents M
whose front scan target surfaces P1 are facing downward and back
scan target surfaces P2 are facing upward in the double-side scan
explained above (see FIG. 6), the ejected documents M and M2 can be
arranged in the normal order.
[0105] As above, the document ejection mode can be switched between
the first ejection mode (for ejecting each document M2 while
stacking it on the already ejected documents M) and the second
ejection mode (for ejecting each document M2 while sliding it under
the already ejected documents M) by pivoting the flap part 22 of
the document output tray 20 downward or upward with the cams
53.
[0106] <Control of Ejection Mode>
[0107] FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration for
controlling the document ejection mode of the ejection mechanism.
FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing a process flow of the document
feeding device 1 between the selection of document scanning by the
user and the start of document feeding.
[0108] If a document M is ejected when the pivoting tray 120 is at
the retracted position as shown in FIG. 7B, a downstream part of
the ejected document M starts bending downward from the gap S
(downstream end 111A of the stacking surface 111 of the fixed tray
110). If the second ejection mode is executed in this state, a
document ejected next can not smoothly slide under the already
ejected document since the frictional resistance between the
documents increases at the part bending downward. Such a phenomenon
becomes more intense as the number of ejected documents
increases.
[0109] To deal with this problem, the document feeding device 1 of
this embodiment is equipped with a sensing part 150 situated on
both sides of the first flap 23 in the width direction (example of
a sensing unit), a control unit 160 which is placed at an
appropriate position inside the body frame 30A and controls the
overall operation of the document feeding device 1, a flap part
sensor 22S which detects whether the flap part sensor 22 has been
pivoted upward or not, and a motor 170 as shown in FIG. 7A and 12,
so as not to execute the second ejection mode when the pivoting
tray 120 is at the retracted position.
[0110] The sensing part 150 is a sensor mainly including an
actuator (capable of pivoting around a pivot shaft 151 supported by
the side panels 30C to be rotatable) and an optical sensor which
detects displacement of the actuator. The sensing part 150 is
positioned and biased so that its upper ends 152 (on both sides of
the first flap 23 in the width direction) are situated above the
upper end of the side panel 30C. When the pivoting tray 120 is
pivoted to the retracted position as shown in FIG. 7B, the stacking
surface 121 of the pivoting tray 120 makes contact with the upper
ends 152 of the sensing part 150, by which the sensing part 150
shifts to a pivoted state. In the pivoted state, the sensing part
150 outputs a signal indicating that the pivoting tray 120 is at
the retracted position to the control unit 160.
[0111] The control unit 160 includes an unshown CPU (Central
Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only
Memory) and input/output circuit, for example. The control unit 160
controls the rotation of the motor 170, the cams 53, etc. based on
programs and data stored in the ROM, the output of the sensing part
150, the output of the flap part sensor 22S, etc.
[0112] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 160
first judges whether the pivoting tray 120 is at the retracted
position or not (S1). When the aforementioned signal is inputted
from the sensing part 150, the control unit 160 judges that the
pivoting tray 120 is at the retracted position (S1: YES). In this
case, the control unit 160 judges whether the flap part 22 has
pivoted upward or not based on the sensing by the flap part sensor
22S (S2).
[0113] When the flap part 22 has not pivoted upward (S2: NO), that
is, when the flap part 22 is at its lower position (see FIG. 11B),
the prevention of the aforementioned state (in which a document
ejected can not be smoothly slid under the already ejected
documents) is unnecessary since the current document ejection mode
is the first ejection mode (for ejecting each document while
stacking it on the already ejected documents), and thus the control
unit 160 ends the process of FIG. 13 (returns to an unshown main
routine) and starts the document scanning operation. In this case,
each document is ejected in the first ejection mode. Incidentally,
the flap part sensor 22S for detecting the pivoting of the flap
part 22 can be implemented by, for example, a sensor which directly
detects the position of the flap part 22, a sensor which detects
the position of one of the cams 53, etc.
[0114] On the other hand, when the flap part 22 has pivoted upward
as shown in FIG. 11A (S2: YES), the control unit 160 rotates
(drives) the cams 53 clockwise in FIG. 10 and thereby pivots the
flap part 22 downward (S3), by which each document is ejected in
the first ejection mode.
[0115] When the pivoting tray 120 is not at the retracted position,
that is, when the pivoting tray 120 is at the document stacking
position (S1: NO), the control unit 160 (not receiving the signal
from the sensing part 150) ends the process of FIG. 13 (returns to
the unshown main routine) and starts the document scanning
operation. In this case, each document is ejected in the first
ejection mode or in the second ejection mode depending on the
position of the flap part 22.
[0116] Incidentally, if the pivoting tray 120 is pivoted to the
retracted position when the flap part 22 has pivoted downward, the
sensing part 150 is pivoted (shifts to the aforementioned pivoted
state) and its lower ends 153 make contact with notches of the link
parts 53B of the cam 53, respectively. In this state, the cams 53
are blocked from rotating counterclockwise and pivoting the flap
part 22 upward, by which the ejection mechanism is prohibited from
executing the second ejection mode.
[0117] With the configuration described above, the execution of the
second ejection mode can be prohibited when the pivoting tray 120
is at the retracted position (i.e. when each document ejected can
not smoothly slide under the already ejected documents), by which
the document ejecting performance of the document feeding device 1
can be maintained at an excellent level.
[0118] Incidentally, the document M at the scanning position R is
fed from the center to the downstream end of the platen glass G
(from right to left in FIG. 3) as shown in FIG. 3, etc. in the
document feeding device 1 of this embodiment. Thus, the platen
glass G (scanning glass) of the document feeding device can be
formed by a sheet of glass (transparent material). Suppose that the
document M is fed in the opposite direction (from the left end
toward the center of the platen glass G) in the configuration of
FIG. 3, the document M shoots into a gap between the upper surface
of the platen glass G and the lower surface of the document feeding
device 1 and the feeding of the document M to the document output
tray situated to the upper right (the document input tray 10 in
this embodiment) becomes impossible. Thus, in cases where the
document M is fed in the opposite direction (opposite to the
feeding direction in FIG. 3), the platen glass G has to be
separated into two at a position to the right of the scanning
position R and a sloped surface (with its lower end situated
slightly below the upper surface of the platen glass G and its
upper end situated to the upper right) has to be provided between
the two sheets of platen glass G so that the document M can be fed
to the document output tray situated to the upper right without
letting the document M shoot into the gap between the upper surface
of the platen glass G and the lower surface of the document feeding
device 1. While the platen glass G has to be separated into two in
cases where the document M is fed in such a direction (opposite to
that in FIG. 3), the document M is fed in the feeding direction
shown in FIG. 3 in the document feeding device 1 of this
embodiment, by which the platen glass G can be formed by a sheet of
glass (transparent material) and the document scanner can be
downsized. Consequently, miniaturization of the device (scanner,
MFP, copier, etc.) in which the document feeding device 1 is
installed can be realized.
[0119] While a description has been given above of a preferred
embodiment in accordance with the aspects of the present invention,
the present invention is not to be restricted by the particular
illustrative embodiment and a variety of modifications, design
changes, etc. are possible without departing from the scope and
spirit of the present invention described in the appended
claims.
[0120] For example, while the upper surface 141 of the document
pressing plate 140 is used as an example of the pivot restricting
part in the above embodiment, the pivot restricting part is not to
be restricted to the upper surface 141; any configuration capable
of restricting the pivoting of the pivoting tray at the retracted
position can be used as the pivot restricting part. For example,
the pivot restricting part may be implemented by members protruding
from the side panels 30C inward in the width direction.
Incidentally, by placing the pivot restricting part (e.g. the upper
surface 141 of the document pressing plate 140) above the document
outlet 38 as in the above embodiment, the loading of the documents
on the document input tray 10 is facilitated since the loading
surface 10A of the document input tray 10 can be widely exposed by
pivoting (rotating) the pivoting tray 120.
[0121] While the fixed tray 110 fixed to the side panels 30C is
employed as an example of the reference tray in the above
embodiment, the reference tray is not to be restricted to such a
fixed tray (i.e. a tray that is fixed); the reference tray may also
be configured to be pivotable, for example. Specifically, in the
above embodiment, a component like the flap part 22 may also be
employed as the reference tray without providing the document
feeding device 1 with the fixed tray 110.
[0122] While the sensing part 150 (serving as a switch of an
unshown sensor) is employed as an example of the sensing unit in
the above embodiment, the sensing unit is not to be restricted to
the sensing part 150. For example, a sensor (switch) provided on
the upper surface 141 of the document pressing plate 140 may be
employed as the sensing unit.
[0123] The configuration of the feeding mechanism described in the
above embodiment is just an example, and thus the configuration
(e.g. the number, arrangement, etc. of the rollers) can be changed
properly as needed. It is also possible to employ a pinch roller
instead of each pad. In short, the configuration, employed members,
etc. of the feeding mechanism may be changed properly without
departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
[0124] The configuration of the feeding path 31 described in the
above embodiment is just an example, and thus the configuration is
not to be restricted to that in the above embodiment. In other
words, the configuration of the feeding path 31 (or the
configuration of the feeding mechanism) may be changed properly
depending on the positional relationship between the document input
tray and the document output tray, the shape, size, etc. of the
document feeding unit, etc.
* * * * *